The earth’s ecosystems comprise millions of species and underpin the well-being of all human societies.

Knowledge about these ecosystems is our strongest tool to ensure the future of life on our planet — yet much of the natural world remains poorly known and unexplored.

Our role

CI’s Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) works to fill this void. RAP, founded in 1990, sends teams of experts on short expeditions into critically ​important field sites around the world. Experts at these sites evaluate the state of a region’s biodiversity, the health of its ecosystems and the multiple benefits that nature provides to people. By doing so, RAP provides information that can guide effective decision-making about conservation.

Our plan

Today, RAP is evolving and expanding its scope. Building on the program’s legacy of discovering and assessing species, our strategy for RAP now integrates our understanding of the vital links among biodiversity, healthy ecosystems and human societies.

EditText:RAP has supported the creation, expansion and improved management of more than 20 million hectares (nearly 50 million acres) of marine and terrestrial protected areas — in addition to the discovery of more than 1,400 species new to science.

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EditQuote Text (Do not add quotation marks):Standard field research takes years, but political leaders will not usually wait that long to make decisions affecting the most biologically important areas of Earth. RAP gathers relevant scientific information quickly enough to aid in protecting such places from irreversible damage that can occur on a very short time scale.

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EditSection subtitle:We work in rivers, rainforests, coral reefs and many other habitats around the world, often in remote, unexplored regions. RAP combines field surveys (usually lasting 2-4 weeks) that utilize cost-effective, standardized methods, innovative technologies and state-of-the-art analysis and planning. Recognizing that conserving biodiversity is fundamental to maintaining healthy ecosystems and the services that nature provides to people, we measure:

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EditText: RAP provides the mobile, flexible and cost-effective tool required to generate the scientific data needed to protect nature and its benefits to people. RAP provides field data needed for conservation planning at the local to regional scale where many threats occur. In these cases, existing data and global datasets are sparse and insufficient. RAP also provides quick yet highly-informative descriptions of the ecological and social values of specific and often unknown areas, placing them within a global context to guide conservation priorities and improve conservation investments. The rapid nature of these assessments is intended to provide the information necessary to catalyze conservation action within a timeframe suited to decision-makers.

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EditQuote Text (Do not add quotation marks):RAP expert scientists act as an ecological SWAT team to accurately assess the biodiversity and health of an ecosystem in a fraction of the time it would normally take.